The hostess with the moosest (Palin)

The Corner (National Review Online) ^ | 8-30-08 | Mark Steyn

[Renfield]

Over in the Frumistan province of the NR caliphate, our pal David is not happy about the Palin pick. I am - for several reasons.

First, Governor Palin is not merely, as Jay describes her, "all-American", but hyper-American. What other country in the developed world produces beauty queens who hunt caribou and serve up a terrific moose stew? As an immigrant, I'm not saying I came to the United States purely to meet chicks like that, but it was certainly high on my list of priorities. And for the gun-totin' Miss Wasilla then to go on to become Governor while having five kids makes it an even more uniquely American story. Next to her resume, a guy who's done nothing but serve in the phony-baloney job of "community organizer" and write multiple autobiographies looks like just another creepily self-absorbed lifelong member of the full-time political class that infests every advanced democracy.

Second, it can't be in Senator Obama's interest for the punditocracy to spends its time arguing about whether the Republicans' vice-presidential pick is "even more" inexperienced than the Democrats' presidential one.

Third, real people don't define "experience" as appearing on unwatched Sunday-morning talk shows every week for 35 years and having been around long enough to have got both the War on Terror and the Cold War wrong. (On the first point, at the Gun Owners of New Hampshire dinner in the 2000 campaign, I remember Orrin Hatch telling me sadly that he was stunned to discover how few Granite State voters knew who he was.) Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are more or less the same age, but Governor Palin has run a state and a town and a commercial fishing operation, whereas (to reprise a famous line on the Rev Jackson) Senator Obama ain't run nothin' but his mouth. She's done the stuff he's merely a poseur about. Post-partisan? She took on her own party's corrupt political culture directly while Obama was sucking up to Wright and Ayers and being just another get-along Chicago machine pol (see his campaign's thuggish attempt to throttle Stanley Kurtz and Milt Rosenberg on WGN the other night).

Fourth, Governor Palin has what the British Labour Party politician Denis Healy likes to call a "hinterland" - a life beyond politics. Whenever Senator Obama attempts anything non-political (such as bowling), he comes over like a visiting dignitary to a foreign country getting shanghaied into some impenetrable local folk ritual. Sarah Palin isn't just on the right side of the issues intellectually. She won't need the usual stage-managed "hunting" trip to reassure gun owners: she's lived the Second Amendment all her life. Likewise, on abortion, we're often told it's easy to be against it in principle but what if you were a woman facing a difficult birth or a handicapped child? Been there, done that.

Fifth, she complicates all the laziest Democrat pieties. Energy? Unlike Biden and Obama, she's been to ANWR and, like most Alaskans, supports drilling there.

[Chgogal]

Thank you for the ((((Ping))))!

[hattend]

Thanks for the ping

[mylife]

I'm not saying I came to the United States purely to meet chicks like that, but it was certainly high on my list of priorities.

Obamas head must be spinning! He has to be frantically trying to figure the Palins out and how to spin it without looking like more of a liberal effete doofus than he already is L0L

[hattend]

He has to be frantically trying to figure the Palins out and how to spin it without looking like more of a liberal effete doofus than he already is

The lefty blogosphere and, I hate to say it, a few FReepers are doing the Obamassiah's work for him.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2072414/posts?q=1&;page=1

Over 700 posts in an hour

[maica]

David Frum’s middle name is Disgruntled. I wish he would go away.

[GOPJ]

Always ON when it’s Steyn. Thanks for the ping.

[GOPJ]

Next to her resume, a guy who's done nothing but serve in the phony-baloney job of "community organizer"and write multiple autobiographies looks like just another creepily self-absorbed lifelong member of the full-time political class that infests every advanced democracy.

Great Steyn line.

[Lady Jag]

Dinner will be just a few minutes.

[knews_hound]

It sure was nice to post a Steyn Ping again, he is my very favorite writer and his sabbatical is driving me NUTS.

Its always a pleasure.

Cheers,

knewshound

[Lady Jag]

Only time I get to read him is when I’m pinged and then he makes me feel good. Thanks.

[Lady Jag]

Only time I get to read him is when I’m pinged and then he makes me feel good. Thanks.

[The Shrew]

Next to her resume, a guy who's done nothing but serve in the phony-baloney job of "community organizer" and write multiple autobiographies looks like just another creepily self-absorbed lifelong member of the full-time political class that infests every advanced democracy.

Renfield, Great post. Obama and Biden are definitely infestations.

IT: Remind me to never make Mark Steyn mad.

Regards,

TS

[irv]

Thanks for the ping.

An article from my favorite political writer about my favorite naughty librarian ... er, vice presidential candidate. Who could ask for more?

[Tax-chick]

Thanks for the ping! I went by his site last week because there hadn’t been a ping in a long time, but I was sorely disappointed. I’m so glad to see this commentary; it’s better than *nothing* by a long shot!

[Forgiven_Sinner]

That’s Sarah’s daughter next to her. She’s teaching her how to hunt.

[Lady Jag]

She has a couple of daughters, any chance you know about what year the photo was taken? Thank you!

[kellynla]

Another “home run” by Mark Steyn!

[Northern Yankee]

Have a great day.

How those Cubbies doin? Our Brewers are trying to keep pace.

[secret garden]

TFTP!

[unearthly]

The GOP needs to shove the exp factor down the dems throats by pointing out 4 of the past 5 presidents were Gov’ners, and there is only 1 gov’ner between the two tickets.